Where to start??......U/W Photography

[scuba_junkie]

So now that I have had an 'official' dive trip, I would like to start snapping some momentos of upcoming dives. I dont want to spend a ton of $$ only to find out that its not what I thought it would be, but I would still like to show people pictures of what they are missing in the depths. I have an Olympus Stylus Zoom as a dry camera now, should I get a U/W case for it... do they even make them. I looked at a couple cameras at my LDS, didnt check prices, but they had some decent looking entry level U/W 35mm cameras. Just want to get someones .02$ worth.

Thanks!
Erich

 

[MNScuba]

These seem popular entry level models under $500:

Bonica Sea King II
Sea&See MX5 or MX10
Reefmaster CL

Keep in mind that a lot of dive shops will rent you a camera at a reasonable rate, check the dive shops where you are going to see if this is an option.

Otherwise, just purchase a disposable one from Wal-Mart and try it out. Best $10 I've invested to 'see if I like it or not'. Watch which one you get however, some are only rated to 15'.

 

[Uncle Pug]

MNScuba once bubbled...
just purchase a disposable one from Wal-Mart and try it out. Best $10 I've invested to 'see if I like it or not'.

If you are a picture taker on land you will probably be a picture taker u/w.

And if you have a photographer's eye on land you will probably be a photographer u/w.

I am neither... and should have realized it before I bought the store. Having an u/w camera in the closet is a shame.

But I do excel at admiring other folks' photos

 

[clive francis]

digital is the way to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

check any of the people on this forum who have digital web sites, me included, and you will be amazed at the picture quality, and it costs nothing to practice taking shots, getting used to the camera

you will not be dissapointed=-)

 

[Cecil]

Just want to agree with, Clive.

My suggestion is get a couple of the Fuji disposables for your first trip. They should work at depth (although no flash). Take a few pictures to get a taste, but concentrate on bouyancy control and getting comfortable underwater. Then buy a good 4 megapixel camera that you can take underwater. You'll be much happier with the camera and the results and you'll be a better diver.

 

[Scuba Jim]

I would not necessarily agree on the digital front. OK if you want some holiday snaps and maybe slap on a web site, but you can only emlarge them so far.

A 35mm slide can be blown up considerably bigger than a digital picture, especially if scanned on a quality drun scanner.

If you are going to be strictly amateur and just showing your friends and maybe sticking them on a personal web site, fine. If you want to use them commercially or enlarge for displays or even quality pictures for a wall, then you would be better off going for slides and gettinga Nikon Coolscan or similar.

Jim

 

[Jack R]

I came across this site today. It shows that digital photography can be awesome.

http://www.david-dacosta.com/

For all amatuers I would say go digital and get some decent photo editing software and a photo printer.

I do agree that good slide film is the best if you are going to make a very very large blow up but you will still lose quality if it gets to big. With the large mega pixel cameras available today you can blow up your picture to a very nice size.


I have thousands of slides and I only look at them very rarely now. If I had them on a website or even a free photo album site I would look at them much more often. I am thinking of getting a slide scanner.

Also Nikon makes a lens adapter to photograph your slides with a digital camera. I wonder if that works well.

 

[Dee]

Scuba Jim once bubbled...
I would not necessarily agree on the digital front. OK if you want some holiday snaps and maybe slap on a web site, but you can only emlarge them so far.

A 35mm slide can be blown up considerably bigger than a digital picture, especially if scanned on a quality drun scanner.

If you are going to be strictly amateur and just showing your friends and maybe sticking them on a personal web site, fine. If you want to use them commercially or enlarge for displays or even quality pictures for a wall, then you would be better off going for slides and gettinga Nikon Coolscan or similar.

Jim

I have seen some excellent enlargements up to 11x14 from 4 mega pixel digital cameras. I agree if you're into commercial photography that slide film is superior for those huge poster size enlargements and some presentations. But that's not what most of us amateur photogs are doing.

Erich is asking for a start into u/w photography and I agree with the others that a digital would work very well. I want good prints for albums, 8x10 enlargements for my wall and good photos for websites. My 4.1 MP camera does very well for all three.

 

[clive francis]

Scuba Jim once bubbled...
I would not necessarily agree on the digital front. OK if you want some holiday snaps and maybe slap on a web site, but you can only emlarge them so far.

A 35mm slide can be blown up considerably bigger than a digital picture, especially if scanned on a quality drun scanner.

If you are going to be strictly amateur and just showing your friends and maybe sticking them on a personal web site, fine. If you want to use them commercially or enlarge for displays or even quality pictures for a wall, then you would be better off going for slides and gettinga Nikon Coolscan or similar.

Jim

Jim,

he said he was a beginer, not david bailey!

He would spen thousands of £1000's on your route, and it would cost him just as much in film and developing trying to work out how to use it.

the 2040, 3040 and 4040 are all excellent cameras, same body same lens (which came out best for all cats when tested), give excellent photo's, that can be enlarged.

he never said he wanted to be a comercial photographer, just play, digital cost nothing to run once you have it apart from charging the batteries.

just out of interest, how much is a drum scanner?

how much does it cost to develop slide rolls?

how much is a slide roll?

 

[clive francis]

Jack R once bubbled...
I came across this site today. It shows that digital photography can be awesome.

http://www.david-dacosta.com/

For all amatuers I would say go digital and get some decent photo editing software and a photo printer.

all you none digital believers.................stick that in your pipe and smoke it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!